Horror Out of Nowhere
Horror Out of Nowhere
Just as not every wine ever made holds the same value.
Not every purity born into the world holds the same value either.
The innocence of a ten-year-old child is not the same as the innocence of a thirty-year-old adult.
Just as the purity of a basement-dwelling hikikomori cannot be the same as the purity of a donation-tier SSS-rank beautiful girl.
Purity, too, is assessed at a different value for each person.
The method of assessment was not particularly difficult either.
The older, the rarer, and the more precarious it appeared, the higher its value rose.
For to say it appeared precarious meant that, despite all odds, the purity had been preserved.
Thanks to this, the One-Horned Lord could not contain his admiration.
"Magnificent!"
The purity was concentrated. Which meant the time spent safeguarding that purity was long compared to the apparent physical age.
Could there be elves in this world after all? Or perhaps some place where time flows slower?
Regrettably, the One-Horned Lord could only see the presence of purity and its depth.
He did not possess the power to discern anything beyond that. But such things hardly mattered.
For what mattered to him in the end was, above all, the other party's purity!
"Haaah, haaah."
The One-Horned Lord inhaled deeply and exhaled.
A pleasing fragrance burrowed deep into his nostrils.
"This rich and concentrated scent of purity... it is of the very highest quality!"
The One-Horned Lord shouted with a beaming smile.
Hearing that, Yor grimaced in disgust and furrowed his brow.
"Why is every demon bastard out there just one of these lunatics?"
His face had turned a little red. No matter who he was, it was impossible not to be embarrassed at receiving your virgin certification right in front of everyone.
Of course, regardless of that, the One-Horned Lord simply kept grinning from ear to ear.
Was the purity merely concentrated? No, it wasn't even just that.
The other party's purity had been of high quality from the very start.
Wouldn't the purity of a stunningly beautiful twenty-something girl who'd received dozens of confessions hold more value than that of a jobless thirty-something shut-in doing nothing but surfing the internet in his room?
To compare the other party to wine, it was a wine brewed from high-quality grapes to begin with, and aged for several years. Even the aging process had been accelerated through a special(?) method.
Seeing that, Amdusias simply could not help but be pleased.
"Yor, please wait up...! Haaak!"
"Why the hell is he so fast...!"
And that was not all. As time passed, two more scents joined in.
Yoo Chae-rin and Im Ha-neul had arrived at the location where the One-Horned Lord stood.
Though their fragrance was insufficient compared to Yor's, the two of them had admirably also preserved their purity.
Seeing this, the One-Horned Lord broke into a broad smile.
"My word, is this some holiday I've forgotten? For so many pure souls to flock here at once!"
When the One-Horned Lord first emerged into the world, he had, frankly, been somewhat disappointed.
It was because there were far more who had played loosely with what lay below than he had expected.
He had known purity was a scarce thing, but he never imagined it would be to this degree.
Well... preserving one's chastity for a long time was a foolish and stubborn act.
Fidelity was a word mostly brought out by old men; to the young, it only sounded tedious.
He knew full well in his head that one only lived once and therefore ought to meet many people.
But did that mean the meaning of purity should be allowed to fade?
At the current state of affairs, he could not suppress his lament.
And so, in an age where purity had become nothing more than a vulgar joke... the pure had appeared before his eyes in droves.
It was only natural that the One-Horned Lord was overjoyed.
"At this rate, I'll exhaust my powers today. To think there are so many who deserve gifts."
"Just shut up!"
Of course, regardless, all Yor felt was embarrassment.
Concentrated? Was this bastard seriously reading even the events of his past?
It wasn't as if he'd preserved his purity by choice, and having it broadcast to the whole world like this made the heat rise to his face.
And so Yor swung his sword to shut the creature up.
The sharp longsword rushed toward the creature's neck.
But the attack never reached him.
Clang!
It was because the One-Horned Lord had swung his own horn to block Yor's strike.
Even though the blow was wrapped in Sword Aura, not a single scratch was left on the One-Horned Lord's horn.
It was an utterly insane durability.
"My, compared to your purity, your temperament is quite violent. Or perhaps, it is because of that very temperament that it has been preserved until now... I actually find it rather agreeable."
"Please... just shut your mouth..."
With his face flushed red, Yor glanced at his companions.
Both were staring this way with blank expressions. What could the two of them be thinking right now?
Regrettably, as a "man" who was not a man, Yor could not easily predict it.
One thing was certain: back in his original world, a man being a virgin at that age was considered a problem.
Of course, it apparently couldn't be helped due to various uncontrollable environmental factors... but that was separate from the embarrassment the individual felt.
Yor tried to continue his assault further from there, but it was blocked before he could even act.
This was because the One-Horned Lord stepped onto the air and rose above Ha-neul.
Yor shouted at the sight.
"Get down! You goddamn horse-faced...!"
"How lamentable. A truly pristine soul I have not seen in so long, yet we are forced into this opposition because of the positions of demon and human..."
Yor furrowed his brow.
There were few ways to attack an opponent who was up in the air.
Should he throw a dagger?
No, even if he did, whether it would hit the creature was another unknown.
Even in the midst of this, the creature's words continued.
"However, it matters not. For the pure are meant to receive a fitting reward."
Saying so, the creature surveyed Yor and his party as though appraising them.
And then, it was in that moment.
A new figure appeared at the far end of his vision.
A figure approaching with a red dot (REC) lit in the left-hand sky.
"Wow, everyone, I've finally found them! This is where Amdusias is!"
[Ohh]
[Wow a unicorn!]
[Those guys are already here lol]
[Looks like something's going on?]
It was Kim Mari.
"Haaah..."
Yor let out a small sigh at the sight.
*
The first to receive a gift was Yoo Chae-rin.
"You, you are an Otherworlder. Hmm, it is particularly difficult to judge the purity of those who are Otherworlders. For their Causality is severed at some point, as if a veil had been drawn..."
The One-Horned Lord continued.
"However, looking at you, what lies beyond that causality also appears white. For you, I shall grant the talent to play musical instruments well, meager though it may be."
"Uh, um..."
With those words, a small authority of the One-Horned Lord seeped into Chae-rin's body.
He was originally a renowned musician who operated a Demon Troupe in the Demon Realm.
If it was a power related to music, he could grant a small measure of ability to another.
What settled into Chae-rin was delicate dexterity. Honestly, the change was so slight that she wouldn't feel much of a difference.
Anyway, if she ever had to play an instrument, it would be a little easier.
It might or might not help when swinging a weapon.
Next, the One-Horned Lord's eyes turned to Im Ha-neul.
"Your fragrance is a bit deeper than that maiden just before. It is clear your purity has been aged for quite some time longer."
"..."
At those words, Ha-neul's expression slightly furrowed.
It was because it sounded like a roundabout way of mocking her for not having once met a man by the age of twenty-six.
Of course, she pulled herself together by glossing over it as just a game...
Since the One-Horned Lord was surely only judging based on the status of '19+ Mode'.
"Commending that innocence, I grant you clearer pronunciation and vocalization. Henceforth, your voice will carry more strength."
And so, Im Ha-neul's knowledge of diaphragmatic breathing grew a little more.
Her voice would become louder and clearer from now on.
... Well, it did seem like it would be useful when chanting spells.
Finally, the One-Horned Lord's gaze turned toward Yor.
"And you!"
"..."
Yor pulled his hood down low. He didn't care anymore.
He just wanted to go back to his cave and hide.
"A deep scent as if it had been aged for forty years! An innocence that seems as if you've never even properly held the hand of someone of the opposite sex!"
"Shut up. Please, just be quiet..."
"And that precariousness, as if it could shatter at any moment! Ah, how beautiful and how tragic! How is it that such brilliantly shining purity always seems on the verge of vanishing! Though I suppose it is precious precisely because it seems so close to breaking."
Whish!
Yor hurled a dagger straight at the other party.
But the opponent was, after all, a mighty demon granted a rank. Moreover, he was in midair, making him difficult to aim at in the first place.
The power carried by the dagger was certainly formidable, but a dagger lacking accuracy was something he could easily dodge.
Thanks to that, only the innocent dagger flew up past Ha-neul and vanished.
Yor briefly turned his head to check the chat window of Kim Mari's stream far away.
[Wait so is that guy a virgin? lol]
[A virgin guy is so precious www]
[I think his name was Yohan? But I mean how ugly is he if Amdusias is sucking his ass this hard]
[Can't see his face cause of the hood so dunno yet]
[If he was confident in his looks why would he wear a hood? lol]
[No but lol like lol kinda cute? lol]
[It's okay I can pop it for him]
[↳ Has been banned by a moderator.]
"Phew..."
Yor let out a small sigh. Coming with his hood on had truly been a blessing.
Even in the midst of that, the One-Horned Lord's words continued.
"To you, I shall give a gift with particular effort. What do you think is most important in enjoying music? Outstanding dexterity? A moving voice? Clear pronunciation and vocalization?
"No, those are ultimately but supplementary things. What is most needed to enjoy it is, in the end, sensitive and delicate hearing."
And so, Amdusias's authority settled into Yor.
In an instant, Yor furrowed his brow and covered his ears.
"K-ugh!"
It was because suddenly everything sounded far too distinct.
The sound of the wind brushing against clothing. The sound of his heart pounding fiercely. Even the breathing of his companions behind his back.
All of it pounded against his ears, excessively loud, and intensely distinct.
Seeing that, the One-Horned Lord carefully continued.
"It seems I got carried away and gave too great a gift... but fret not. There is a reason a gift is called a gift. Once you adapt to that hearing, you should be perfectly capable of adjusting it. May you be blessed to hear many beautiful melodies."
It was loud.
The One-Horned Lord's deep, weighty voice burrowed into his ears.
Damn it, was this really meant to be a gift?
Judging by the feeling alone, it felt as if he'd been struck by some kind of Sound Attack.
But, nonetheless.
With that, the One-Horned Lord had bestowed all his gifts. Wearing a satisfied smile, he tried to take his leave.
"Well then, with this, I shall take my leave... I have used far too much strength today."
"Wait, just a moment...!"
But it was then.
That Kim Mari, who had only been watching up until now, hurriedly stepped forward.
Come to think of it, she had come to receive that gift as well, so it would not do for the One-Horned Lord to leave like this.
"Could you please take a look at me as well?"
"Hm?"
She carefully asked the One-Horned Lord.
Amdusias's two black pupils turned toward Mari.
Gulp. Mari swallowed hard.
No matter that she had never enabled '19+ Mode', facing a demon right before her eyes brought an oppressive feeling.
Still, she managed to push the fear aside.
'Right, what do I have to be intimidated about.'
Though she was no virgin, the sex had only been experienced in reality anyway.
And the other party was, in the end, an entity within the game.
Therefore, the only thing he could discern from her was the status of '19+ Mode'.
In the end, from the creature's perspective, she herself would appear pure, so he would have no choice but to grant her a buff.
Having pushed aside her fear like that, Mari wore a confident smile.
However, what she heard from the creature was...
"WRETCH!!!!!"
A furious roar that tore at the eardrums.
And without a moment to be bewildered, the One-Horned Lord's horn pierced through the center of her chest.
"Keok...! But why?"
Along with a stinging pain, a question surfaced in her mind.
The One-Horned Lord hurled the answer in an enraged voice.
"You wretch! Did you dare to think I would be unable to distinguish it simply because you hid behind the veil of the Otherworld! Preposterous!"
"Aha..."
Kim Mari furrowed her brow and nodded her head.
So that was it. The other party could now judge not just '19+ Mode' but the state of her purity even in reality.
Well, he must have laid eyes on countless Otherworlders while traveling up to now, so perhaps he'd become able to tell...
She tried to close her eyes, accepting the situation.
... But that was only for a moment.
Soon, feeling a strange sense of dissonance, goosebumps slithered down her spine.
'...?!!'
No, wait a moment.
How could he possibly distinguish that?